Starting to feel like it's crunch time...and so I'll spend this Sunday focusing on my final essays (due in less than a month!). At least it's raining so I don't feel guilty for staying in on a beautiful day :)

My final essays are pretty intense and require a lot of independent research (ex: the theme of 'les baigneuses' (bathers) in 19th century art) and a comparison between Baroque, Renaissance, Classic, and Romantic music. Interestingly - I've just found out that my grades from this semester do not have any influence on my overall GPA at Wheaton....I have to forget this little fact if I'm going to have any sort of motivation to do my work....

Friday night I went on a tour of Nice's contemporary art along the tram line with Sheridin, my host mom and her friend. The tram line is only 3 years old, and while it was being constructed the city of Nice hired artists to install pieces along the line. Some of the pieces are visible all of the time (lampposts in Place Massena) but some take a little investigating to find. 

Lamppost with all different types of lamps

"Waterfall of things" painted on an apartment building

bench made to look like stones

end of the tram line

out to dinner after the tour

 On Saturday Celine and I went on a tour of the Astronomy Observatory of Nice. Although most of the information given on the tour was way too scientific for me I still really appreciated seeing the facilities. The Nice Observatory is one of only two in France - and was built in 1878. Most of the equipment, including a 22m long telescope is just as old as the building.

view of nice from the observatory

HUGE telescope used for tracking planets and stars

Vacance de Toussaint aka VACATION

      Last week I had a much appreciated break from classes. Things have been going great at school... but getting a little pause is never something to complain about. I was a little bummed to have missed Halloween because not many French people seem to care about our silly American holiday -- all this really means is that I've had a lot of time to think about it and  my costume for next year is already in the works and it's going to be incredible. On the afternoon of Oct 23 I arrived in Oviedo, Spain (an airport almost as small as Santa Barbara's) and met my very best friend from home, Jackie. Oviedo is located on the north-western coast of Spain and Jackie is spending the semester there studying Spanish. I was actually very surprised at how much Spanish I could understand - possibly from taking a few classes here and there, but most likely due to its similarities to French. I tried to talk to her housemates a little bit but English always managed to take over. 

    Jackie and I had an amazing time walking around Oviedo, eating churros con chocolate, and drinking cidre - the area's specialty drink made from fermented apples (kind of tastes like blue cheese to me). One afternoon her house mates made an amazing paella dish with 5 types of seafood (clams, shrimp, calimari...I'm actually not even sure what else was in it). Needless to say it was homemade and the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. We also took a whole day to cuddle up in bed and watch Gossip Girl...that's what best friends are for :)

HUGE park in Oviedo - San Francisco

Beautiful part of town...a little bit like Old Nice - lots of winding streets and cafés

Cathedral in the old part of town

View from a pathway overlooking the city!

Friends since 1996

I know this picture is insanely immature but really...the town of Oviedo just can't cut their plants like this..

After spending a girly weekend with Jacks I flew down to Madrid to meet my parents! From there we spent four days traveling around Spain...We visited Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz, and Trujillo! Because we were traveling so much my time in Spain wasn't quite vacation-like...but I am so happy to have visited so many incredible sites (Cordoba's Mezquita and the Cathedral of Toledo are must-sees). Cadiz is very very very tourist friendly - paths for self guided tours throughout the city are painted on the ground and accompanied by brochures (why doesn't every city have this!??).

Cathedral of Toledo

Inside of the Mezquita

Cordoba from across the bridge - looking towards the Mezquita

This weekend I am off to Rome with my parents! Once I return I'll have to hit the books - so many finals, so little time left!


Bisous!